recipesfandomcom-20200213-history
British Christmas Cake
Ingredients * 2 lbs mixed dried fruit The mixed dried fruit should be such things as seedless raisins and currants. * 4 oz glace cherries * 4 oz candied fruit * 3 oz blanched almonds * 10 oz plain flour * 1 pinch salt * ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda * 1 tsp mixed spice "Mixed spice" is a combination of cinnamon, allspice and mace: about ⅓ of each). * 4 eggs * ½ tsp flavoring (vanilla, lemon) The ½ teaspoon of "flavoring" can be almond, or lemon, or vanilla, or a mixture of the three. * 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses * 8 oz butter * 8 oz soft brown sugar * 1 whisky to soak fruit * 250 ml milk (to mix) Directions # Find a 9-inch cake pan at least three inches deep; grease it, and line the bottom and sides with a double thickness of greased baking parchment. # Tie folded brown paper or newspaper around the outside of the pan. # The paper is insulation, to keep the sides of the cake from scorching as it bakes. # Set oven to 320 – 350°F: have folded paper to stand the pan on when baking—place low in oven. # Pick over the dried fruit, removing any stems, etc. # Wash, drain well and spread over a cloth on a tray to dry. # When dry, put in a bowl and pour a small wine-glass of spirit over it. # Cover well and leave overnight. # Next day, add chopped peel, blanched chopped almonds, and cherries minced and drained. # Mix thoroughly. # Sift together the flour, salt, soda and spice. # Beat the eggs well with the molasses and flavoring. # Put the butter into a large warmed bowl and beat until soft; then add the Sugar and beat until light and creamy. # Beat in the egg mixture, about a sixth of it at a time, then fold in half the flour mixture. # Add remainder of the flour to the fruit and mix well. # Add fruit to creamed mixture and fold in well. # Put into pan and bake for about 3½ to 4 hours or until done. # If top of cake is browning too fast, cover with a few thicknesses of paper. # Reduce the oven heat slightly every hour—about 10 degrees. # Test with skewer for doneness. # Keep the paper wrapped around the cake in place until completely cooled, so that the cooling takes place slowly. # After completely cooled, invert the cake, lift the baking parchment off the bottom, and sprinkle the cake generously with the spirit of your choice. # Wrap well in foil, put in a sealed tin, and keep in a cool place (not necessarily refrigerated). # The cake benefits from occasional unwrappings and sprinkling with more spirit. # It takes about 2 months to achieve maximum "mellowness". Notes Category:Christmas Desserts Category:British Desserts Category:Almond Recipes Category:Cake Recipes Category:Blackstrap molasses Recipes Category:Brown sugar Recipes Category:Candied fruit Recipes Category:Glace cherry Recipes Category:Currant Recipes Category:Dried fruit Recipes Category:Wheat flour Recipes Category:Egg Recipes Category:Whiskey Recipes